Make a film this invested in cinema – not just the stories but the celluloid itself – and someone will call it a "love letter". But One Second from Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Hero) is not just about the magic of the movies, but the dangerous lie of them and their dazzling tricks of the light.
The escaped convict hero is searching for newsreel footage featuring his estranged daughter, so intent in his quest that he doesn't notice the real-life relationship he's developing with the ragamuffin orphan who may or may not have stolen the film. This gorgeous, heartswelling, funny movie was withdrawn and re-edited by Chinese authorities, so if it is a love letter, it's a partially censored one, and yet, like a precious message that's gone dog-eared with frequent rereading, it's made all the more poignant by its imperfections.